Moving-picture machine.



A. F. HAMAGEK.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. APLIOATIon FILED :Ulm 24, 190s.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. P. HAMAGBK.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1908.

909,404. Patented Jan.12,19o9.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AVI'. HAMACEK. MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1908.

909,404. Patented Jan. 1.2,- 1909.

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S i i; 54 LV ,-69 4J 6j @s 745 ,i l; i4 i5 f. :Ig "I Jig /4 {sv i@ Zzzeef/ N 42 WMMQ/M A. F. HAMAGEK.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1 909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

60 76 ,MA/@WM v A.' P. HAMAGEK. MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.' APPLIOATION FILED .TUNE 24, 1908.

Patented Janf12, 1909.

" TED STATES' PATENT OFFICE. I

ADoLPH F. HAMAGEK, 'or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR or oNE-HAII'?"'Io D. B. BAKER, or

. oIIIcAeo, ILLINOIS. d

MOVING-PICTURE Insomma.

atented Jan. Iaieoc.

To all whom it may concern." l

Beit known that I, AnoLrH F. IIAMACEK,

, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chiforations in the cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented -a new and useful Improvement in Moving-Picture Machines, of which the followin is a specification.

`My invention re ates to improvements in the class of machines for exhibiting or projecting and taking pictures on an intermittently moving picture-film; and it relates particularly to improved mechanism 'forl producing the intermittent motion of the ilm ast t e lens and to improved mechanism for ceding the film by friction in contradistinction to ositively feeding the same through the me um of s rocket-teeth engaging per- -ed es. As is well known in the art, the so-calle movement. ordinarily used for Vproducing the required intermittent motion of the hlm, and consisting of a form of Geneva-gear, ismore' or less unsatisfactory inasmuch as it exerts a jerking action on the film in starting it, tending to its injury; and the s rocket-feed of the film is also objectiona lebecause the sprocket-teeth in withdrawing from the edge-perforations in the film unavoidably vibrate it With the result of blurring the pictures either in taking a view in side e or projecting them. Moreover, the sprocketteeth tend totear or strip the edge-perforations since that species of feed must be at the rate of a definite number of pictures for a given brief period, and any disorganization of' the relation ofthe perforations to the sprocket-teeth impairs the roper registration of the pictures with the ens. Such disorganization is caused by variation 'of the length of the iilm by shrinkage in its develo ment or from age, causing hastening of t e feed, or by elongation thereof'under some conditions, causing retardation in the feed. I overcome these and other objections by a novel construction of friction-feed for the film and a novel construction of means for producing its. required intermittent movement7 either of these devices bein r capable of use with any suitable construction of the other,

though when used together in the same machine they produce the best result by coperating in causingl desired uniformity and smoothness of travel' of the film.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is moving-picture machine provided with my i section through the frictional yof the picture.

evation, partly broken, of av improvements; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same presentin the opposite side; Fig. 3 is a section on line Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on line B, Fig. 5, with the cover of the shuttermechanism removed; Fig. 5 is a section on' line C, Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an enlariglid vertical device on line D, Fig. 3'; Fig. 7 is a broken view in side elevation of the rotary wheel of the friction-feed device; Fig. 8 is a section on line E, Fig. 6; Fig. 9 shows the setting means for the expansible and contractible feedwheel by a plan view; and Fig. l() is a detail view of a loo -forming adiunct for. the film.

In a suitable casing 10, shown of rectangular form, and near the front end containing an opening 11, is mounted a vertical frame 12 carrying the lens-barrel 13 coincident with the opening. 11.- On the inner face of the frame is provided the usual hinged spring clamping-frame 14 for tautening the picturefilm 15 in its travel across the inner end of .the lens-barrel, the open rear end of which is covered by a hood 16 containing a springpressed longitudinally open follower 17 preferably of soft wood to insure exclusion of light from the ilm about the picture and supported on the end of. a telescoping tube 1S sustained on the frame through which to direct the light, the telescoping construction of m-feeding the "tube, which affords means through which tojinspect the film for focusing the pictures, adapting the hood to be retracted to facilitate aocess'to the lenses, Elm and clampingframe for purposes of adjustment. The opening through the follower is of the exact area of each picture on the iilm and thus prevents spreading of the light beyond the area The picture-film 15 is in a coil journaled in a compartment'lQ in the casing, out of which it passes, at 20, under-a guide-roller 2 1 about a guide-roller 22 Journaled on the frame 12 above the clampingframe between which and the lens-b arrel it is fed intermittently; and it is wound upona take-up roll 23 in a compartment 24 in the casing, whichl it enters at 25,` being guided' therein by a roller 26. 4

None of theelements thus far described, except the hood-device, present any important features of novelty, being in common use in moving-picture machines. f

On the edge of theupright frame 12 near gear-wheel 27 with a grooved pulley 28 on its .one side of the casing is journaled a large outer face geared by an endless beltl 29 to a smaller pulley 30, on the shaft 31 which carries the take-up coil of film in the compartment 24. For operating the machine a crank 33 is shown to be applied to the pulley 28, though it may be operated by any suitable motor.

1n bearings on the outer side of the frame 12 is journaled a shaft 34 carrving a pinion 35 in mesh with the gear 27 an a miter-gear 36 meshing with a similar miter 37 on a shaft 38 journaled in bearings at opposite sides of the frame through which it passes. The shaft 38, which extends at a right-angle to the shaft 34, carries a balanceewheel 39 and the Vdriving member of a device, hereinafter described, for actuating the picture-film by an intermittent movement, the driven member of this device being on a shaft 40 journaled in suitable bearings to extend at a right-angle to and beneath the shaft V38 and carrying the drum or wheel of the frictional film-feeding device, hereinafter described.

The device for producing intermittent rotary motion forms the subject of my pending application Serial Number 433,356, filed May 18, 1908. ltcomprises the driving member 41 and the driven member 42. The driven member is a cog-wheel having outwardly tapering teeth formed to extendI parallel with the axis of rotation with each tooth beveled from near the circumferential. center of the wheel toward one face thereof to extend inclinedly to the remainder of the tooth. The driving member is formed of teeth 43 and 44 extending, at intervals apart corresponding with those of the member 42, artway--say approximately two -thirds-a out the circumference of a sleeve or enlargement 45 on the shaft 38, the ends of successive ones of .these teeth being joined by similar worm-sections 46 extending about the remaining portion of said circumference. The end-portions of each worm-section extend at a right-angle to the axis of rotation of the driving member and its intermediate curved portion describes a somewhat stee inclination between said end-portions. T e teeth 43 are blunt-faced wit-h beveled edges and are adapted to mesh with the teeth of the driven member to hold the latter against rotation, while the tooth. 44

is pointed and of greater diameter than the teeth 43 to extend deeply between the teeth of the driven member and afford 'a locking tooth therefor against vibration or backlash. v

The frictiona'l feed-device comprises the drum or wheel 47 'of peculiar construction to render it expansible and contractible, and a spring-pressed multiple-roller device 48 coperating therewith. The vwheel comprises a s ider-like center on the shaft 40, having raal arms 49 arranged in pairs forming s aces between them to receive and conne a justably the metal-stems 50 of arc-shaped heads riphery t e edges of apart.

acarrea with inclinedly-inturned edge- 51I provided The heads 51 are covered with` fianges 52.

`sections 53, of hard material preferably hardened leather, meeting at their ends, adjacent to which they are bent to produce inturned flanges 54 fitting against the faces of opposing flanges 52, where each leather fiange is` secured against. a face of a flange 52 by a metal strip 55 fastened in place by a countersunk screw 56 passed transversely through the anges 52 and 54 and plate 55. The leather sections 53 are cut away or countersunk between their lateral edges to form a circumferential recess or groove 57 about the wheel in which it is surrounded by a suitable bandsprin 58, preferably in the form of a thin s lit and of spring steel tending t e wheel when expanded, as and for the purpose-hereinafter described, between the circular edge-flanges 59 about the wheel formed by its annular end-headsv60. A sleeve 61 surrounds the shaft 40 (Fig. 6) to rotate with it, and carries a head 62 from which similar wedge-shaped keys 63, of which six are used in the'present construction, extend along the sleeve through the central openings in the wheel-heads 60,4 each key passing through the base-portion of a s ace between -a pair of arms 49, whereby w en the keys are advanced through the wheel their wedging engagement with the inner ends of the stems 50 forces the latter outwardly to expand the periphery of the wheel between the flanges 59, and retracting the keys permits that peto contract under the ressure of the sprlng 58. To thus work the Ieys the circular head 62 is circumferentially recessed to receive a s lit collar 163 clamped about it and pivotal y confined by pins 64 in a rectangular yoke 65, which hasbearing at a ball 66, extending from one end, in the rame 1 2 and is provided on its opposite end with a handle 67 carrying a spring-pressed pivotal finger 68 curved at its :forward end where it bears against the upper surface of a rigid segmental late 69 to engage the same frictionally for holding the keys 63 in any position to which they are adjusted in expanding the feed- Wheel. v f l Y To coperate with the wheel 47 in feeding the picture-film a series of friction-rollers is provided in a structure involving, by preference,`the following-described parts: An arcshapedtrough 70, forming a roller-frame, the u per edges of the sides of which conform to the wheel-flanges 59, has its base provided with openings at uniform intervals At one end this trough is suspended at a transverse rod'71 (Fig. 5) by a pivotal hook 72 from a-support 73 extending froml the frame 12, and it carries on its o posite end a bail 74 at which it is resilient y susto contract extend at intervals outwardly and radially from the trough-base and have rigidly fas- .ting opening 84.

tened to their outer ends an arc-sha ed bearing-strip 77. Coincidently with t e openings in the base of the trough the sides thereof are provided with rectangular radial slots 78, extending short of the inner or u per edges of the sides, and in each pair of t ese slots fit the arms of a rectangular yoke 79 having a stem 80 extending from` its base loosely through the plate v7 7 and surrounded by `a spiral-s ring 81 confined between the plate and yo e-base to support the yoke resiliently; and in each air of yoke-arms is j ournaled a roller 8 2 to ear at enlargements or bands v182 about its ends (Fig. 6) against the periphery of the wheel 47 at the sides of the recess 57 in the leather sections '53 formin 1t.

glhe shutter 83 shown (Fig. 4) is in the form of a counterbalanced*diskjvith asegment 'removed to roduce the light-admitt is centrally supported between the frame 12 and adjacent end of the casing 10 in a compartment in the latter to turn past the inner end of the lens-barrel, on a shaft 85 journaled in'a bearing in said frame adjacent to the clam ing-gate 14 and carr 'ing on` its inner end a eveled pinion 86 mes ing withv the teeth aboutI the face of a beveled gear `87 on one end of a shaft 88 ournaled in bearings extending from the inner face of the frame 12 and carrying on its opposite end a gear-wheel 89 meshing with the upper part of the master-gear 27.

The lm 15 in its course from the coil in *Y compartment 19 to the take-up roll in compartment 24 passes about' the wheel47, between the guide-ianges 59 thereof'and bears only against the raised parts 53 of its peri hery to avoid marring the face of the in, and the raised end-portions`182 of the plurality of spring-pressed rollers 82 clam the edge-portions of the film against the Wieelparts 53 to bear against it uniformly throughout a considerable extent of its length, and thereby distribute the pressure lover such area with the advanta e ofenabling the pressure of each roller to ie so light as to avoid injury to the film in their feeding coperation with the wheel, and that of producing a regular, smooth, positive and even feed of the picture-film. p

The operation is as follows: Rotation of the gear 27, as by turning the crank 33, .by

, its gear-connection with the shaft 38 (Fig. 3)

rapidly rotates the latter and with it the hub 45, throughout part of the rotation of which its worm-sections engage the beveled arts of the teeth of the driven-member 42 to rive it, irst with a relatively slow movement, then advancing to Va rapid movement, and then receding to' the same slow,movement,

vby reason of the described relation of the straight-end and curved intermediate portions of the worm-sections, thereby actuating thedriven member from no motion toa slow motion, increasin to a rapid motion, then gradually to the slowmotion terminating in no motiom. Throughout the remainder of the rotation of the driving member its teeth engage with the straight parts of the teeth of the member 42, the shorter teeth 43 holding the latterv against further rotation until they are again engaged by the worm-sections, and the pointed tooth 44 locking the driven member, by the close fit between its teeth, against vibration or back-lash. The member 42 is thus driven by an intermittent motion and lsince -it is on the same shaft with the wheel 47 the latter is driven correspondingly to feed the film intermittently past the opening l11 to be taken up by the roll 23 in its rotation, through the belt-connection 29 With the pulley 28. The driving connection of themaster-gear 28 with the shutter-shaft 85 is so timed as to admit light through the lens-barrel at the proper intervals, as`u'sual,.in. harmony with the operation of the. intermittentmotion device. I

Improper registration of the p'cture-sece tions on the nlm with the opening 11 may be' readily corrected by the operator by turning the handle 67 to effect expansion or contraction of the wheel 47, thus by advancing the keys 63 to spread the Wheel-sections apart or by retracting them to permit the spring 58 to contract them, thereby, in the` one instance, increasing the circumference of the wheel to produce faster feeding of the iilm, if that be the correction required, and, in the other instance, diminishing the circumference to slower feeding of the film if that lbe the correction required. To effect these adjustments of the feed, which maybe produced with extreme nicety under the inspection of the operator, he merely grips the handle 67 to release the iinger 68 and permit the yoke 65' to be turned freely, and when he has attained the desired degree'of adjustment it is retained by engagement. of the finger 68 with the plate 69 upon releasing the grip on the handle.

Where the coil oflm in the compartment 19 isof large size, br heavy, the resistance of its inertia in starting it would tend to injure it, by straining or even tearing it under the operation of the intermittent-motion device. To counteract this tendency, the device may be provided which 'is illustrated in F ig. 10.l It consists of a spring-arm 90 extending .from the frame 12 to bear a roller 91` on its free end against the film between the guide- 'rollers l21 and 22. By this provisionA the pressure of the arm forms a loop in the film against which the action of the intermittent- 'motion deviceis exerted, thereby taking the strainof starting 'oii the coil and requiring the said device to overcome merely the-comparatively light resistance of the spring-arm 90 in producing the paying out of the film from t e coil.

What I claim as neW and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with a frictional film-feeding device, of an intermittent-motion device in driving engagement with said feeding-device and comprising a rotary toothedwheel forming the driven member and a driving member consisting of a rotary shaft having gearteeth and a pointed locking-tooth of greater diameter than said gear-teeth extending aboutone portion of its circumference and Worm-sections extending about another portion of its circumference to successively engage said teeth and Worm-sections of the driving-member With the teeth of the driven- -member, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with an intermittent-motion device, of a frictional film-feeding device, comprising an expansible and contractible Wheel in driven engagement with said intermittentmotion device, means for expanding said Wheel simultaneously and uniformly throughout its periphery, and a plurality of rollers coperating With said Wheel, for the purpose set forth. Y

3. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with an intermittent-motion device, of a frictional film-feeding device comprising anexpansible and contractible Wheel in driven engagement with said intermittent motion device and having an unyielding peripheral surface, means for expanding and means for contracting said Wheel simultaneously and uniformly throughout its periphery, and a plurality of rollers co 'erating with said Wheel, for the purpose set orth.

4. A-In a moving-picture machine, the combination with an intermittent motion device, of a frictional film-feeding device comprising a Wheel in driven engagement with said intermittent-motion device and having an expansible and contractible periphery formed of sections, Wedging-keys for forcing out the sections to expand said periphery, and a plurality of rollers cooperating With .said periphery, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a moving-picture machine, the combination With an intermittent-motion device, of a frictional film-feeding device comprising a Wheel in driven engagement with said intermittent-motion device and having an expansible and contractible periphery formed of sections, a spring-band around said periphery, Wedginff-keys for forcing out the sections to expand the periphery against the resistance of said band, and a plurality of rollers cooperating with said periphery, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a moving-picture machine, the conibination with an intermittent-motion deseas-ell p vice including a driven member on a rotary shaft, of a vfrictional film-feeding device consisting of a Wheel on said shaft comprising a center having pairs of radially-extending arms forming spaces between them, stems reciprocably confined in said spaces and terminating in arc-shaped heads, and springressed sections of yielding material, as eather, confined against said head toform the periphery of the Wheel, a head on said shaft carrying Wedge-keys Working through the Wheel against the inner ends of said stems, and a plurality vof rollers coperating with said periphery, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with an intermittent-motion device including a driven member on a rotary shaft,

of a frictional film-feeding device consisting of a wheel on said shaft comprising a center having pairs of radially-extending arms forming spaces between them, stems reciprocably confined in said spaces and terminating in arc-shaped heads, sections of yielding material, as leather, confined against said heads to-form the periphery of the Wheel and countersunk between their edges toform a recess about the periphery, and a spring-band in said recess, a head'on said shaft carrying Wedge-keys Working through the Wheel a ainst the inner ends of said stems, and a p urality of rollers cooperating with said periphery, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with an intermittent-motion device including a driven member on a rotary shaft, of a frictional film-feeding device consisting of a Wheel on said shaft comprising a center having pairs of radially-extending arms forming spaces between them, stems reciprocably confined in. said spaces and terminating in arc-shaped heads, vand springpressed sections of yielding material, as leather, confined against said head toforrn the periphery of the wheel, a head on said shaft carrying wedge-keys working through the wheel against the inner ends of said stems, a yoke pivotally connected with said head and pivotally supported at one end in the machine-frame, and a handle on the opposite end of the yoke provided With means for releasably holding it in adjusted position, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with an intermittent-motion device including a driven member on a rotary shaft, of a frictional film-feeding device consisting of a Wheel on said shaft comprising a center having pairs of radiallyextending arms forming spaces between them, stems reciprocably confined in said spaces and terminating in arc-shaped flanged heads, and springressed sections of yielding material, as--leat er, covering said heads and secured to the flanges thereof to form the periphery IIO of the Wheel, the head on said shaft carryin wedge-ke s working through the Whee a ainstt e inner ends of said stems, and a p urality of rollers coperating with said periphery, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a, moving-picture machine, the combination with an intermittent-motion device including a driven member on a rotary shaft, of a frictional film-feeding device comprising an eX ansible and contractible wheel on said sha t provided with means for expanding and means for contracting it, and an arc-shaped series of spring-pressed rollers supported lto coperate with the periphery of said Wheel, for the purpose set forth.

11. In a moving picture vmachine, the combination with an intermittent-motion device including a driven member on a rotary shaft, of a frictional film-feeding device comprising an ex ansible and contractible Wheel on said shaflz) provided with means for expanding and means for contracting it, and

a .resiliently suspended arc-shaped trough carrying spring-'pressed reciprocating yokes with rollers journaled therein to cooperate with the eriphery of said Wheel, for the pur- Icombination with a s utter in a compartment and a lens-barrel Withwhich said shutter coperates, of, a light-tube in the casing, a light excluding hood on vone end of said tube covering the inner end of the lens-barrel, and a spring-pressed hollow follower in said hood, for the urpose set forth'.

13. n a movin picture machine, the combination with t e shutter in a compartment in the casing and the lens-barrelwith which said shutter coperates, of a telescoping light-.tube in the casing, a hoodon an end of said tube covering `the inner end ofthe lens-barrel, and a s ring-pressed hollow follower in said hood, ihr t e purposeset forth.

ADOLPH F. HAMACEK.

In presence ofe K. MfConNWALL,

R. A. SCHAEFER. 

